The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-0 on September 25, 2026, at Oracle Park. The victory highlighted a strengthened bullpen featuring Tanner Scott's 24th save and a high-velocity relief appearance by Roki Sasaki.
Sasaki's 100 mph heat at Oracle Park
The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants behind a dominant pitching performance. As the report says, the win was anchored by a seven-inning effort from starter Tarik Skubal, which allowed the Dodgers to showcase their revamped late-inning options in a low-stress environment.
Roki Sasaki provided the game's most electric moment, throwing four fastballs exceeding 100 mph during his relief appearance. According to the source, the 24-year-old Sasaki also threw two fastballs that topped 99 mph, signaling a significant increase in confidence and technical sharpness since last season.
The $72-million investment in Tanner Scott
Tanner Scott's performance in the ninth inning earned him his 24th save of the season. this stability is a critical return to form for Scott, who signed a $72-million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after a challenging 2025 campaign.
Manager Dave Roberts noted that Scott's fastball and splitter have both improved, mirroring the dominance Scott showed as a San Diego Padres ace during the 2024 playoffs when he successfully shut down Shohei Ohtani.. This recovery suggests that the Dodgers' significant financial investment in Scott is finally yielding the high-leverage results the team requires for a deep postseason run.
Solving the bullpen gaps of the 2025 World Series run
This strategic depth addresses a glaring vulnerability from the previous season. During the Los Angeles Dodgers' last World Series run,the team was forced to rely heavily on starting pitchers to cover relief duties because the bullpen was a weakness. The organization was essenttially dependent on starters to pitch deeper into games or make emergency relief contributions.
The current pairing of Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki provides a safety net that was missing in the previous postseason. By diversifying their late-inning weapons, the Los Angeles Dodgers are moving away from a precarious reliance on a few arms and toward a more sustainable model of bullpen depth.
Roki Sasaki's shift from starter to October closer
The transition of Roki Sasaki to the bullpen follows a mid-season struggle with a blister on his pitching hand. before the injury, Sasaki started seven games after the All-Star break, posting a 2-0 record and a 3.05 earned-run average. while Sasaki has proven effective in relief—including a scoreless outing against the San Diego Padres earlier this week—it remains unclear exactly how Dave Roberts will sequence these arms in October.
The source notes that Sasaki has sharpened himself technically throughout the season, but the move to the bullpen is a significant tactical shift. Whether Sasaki will remain a primmary closer or a setup man remains a key point of uncertainty as the team prepares for the playoffs.
Dave Roberts' rejection of fixed bullpen roles
Manager Dave Roberts has explicitly stated that he will not pigeonhole his relievers into fixed roles for the upcoming playoffs. Roberts intends to use both Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki in high-leverage situations based on the opposing lineup rather than a strict "closer" designation, preferring to have as many trusted arms as possible.
Tanner Scott has expressed his openness to any role, emphasizing that the priority for the Los Angeles Dodgers in October is simply getting outs to win every game. This flexibility allows the Los Angeles Dodgers to deploy their most powerful arms against the most dangerous hitters, regardless of the inning.
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